Wednesday, August 31, 2005

My apologies for not posting anything new in the last couple of weeks. I have been busy with work and getting ready for another year as Assistant Grand Lecturer.

Today, I would like to send out thoughts and prayers to all who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. This is truly the worst natural disaster to hit America in my lifetime. I urge all, from the Grand Lodges in the US to every individual who is able, to contribute in some manner for the relief of those in need. Money, blood, food & supplies will all be needed. It will take some time to rebuild New Orleans and the other communities on the Gulf Coast.

Disasters like this often bring the scam artists out in full gear, so please be cautious when contributing.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Today, I would like to plug a couple of Masonic websites hosted by a remarkable Canadian Brother, Stephen Defoe, who also happens to host an excellent Knights Templar site.

Masonic Dictionary is the newest of his ventures. A truly resourceful site for Masonic researchers, it boasts over "600 individual pages and well over 1500 individual entries, articles and sound files." It also has the Masonic Service Association of North America's Short Talk Bulletins from 1923-1935. It is worth checking out just for that.

The Lodge Room is a Masonic Forum that has existed in some form or another for a number of years. Its members are from all over the world and interesting discussion abounds.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

As one of the Assistant Grand Lecturers for my Masonic District, I am required to write a monthly column in our area Masonic newspaper, "The Word". Usually, it consists of reminders to lodges on ritualistic & degree matters, but occasionally I have tried to take it beyond that.

Last February, I waxed esoterically...

Esoterically, Masonry could be looked upon as a Quest. A Quest, you ask? Yes, a Quest – not unlike the Quest for the Holy Grail. The individual Mason is on a Quest for Perfection. This Quest fulfills the Masonic promise to “Make Good Men Better.” The real reward is not so much the destination but the journey. The knowledge that you have continued to work at bettering yourself and that you are never really finished, should be enough to continue that journey.

A great place to begin that Quest for Perfection is with the presentation of our Ritual. Not just the memorization, but the presentation. Remember the candidate is just beginning his journey and he deserves to receive a quality introduction to set him on his path. Get beyond the simple memorized lines and go out & impress the new Brother. There are many great Ritualists in our district and what sets them apart from others is the fact that, even when others tell them that they have done a brilliant job, they are not satisfied. They know that it still isn’t perfect and they work harder for the next time. Everyone should adopt this attitude – not just concerning Masonic Ritual – but for their lives in general. When you have given up your Quest for Perfection, your journey hasn’t come to an end, it never started.